Catch Up

I think I set a personal-fewest-amount-of-posts-in-a-month record this November.

What can I say? It's the happiest busiest time of the year!

Let's play catch up, shall we?

I took a photography class last month. FINALLY! I'm still working on new techniques...but I am trying. Bare with me as I fine tune this new skill!

With the help of Court and my in-laws I was able to get away for a few days! Mind you, I was at a law conference (B-I-G yawn!) but it might as well been an all expense (read: all shopping expenses) paid trip to Paris!! It was the first time I'd been away from home without either a child or a husband in OVER FOUR YEARS!!! I had dinner with girlfriends, snuck out of the conference early to do a little Seattle shopping and was able to visit all those little boutiques that the double stroller can never manage! It was pure heaven....for about the first 40 hours. Then I started missing my little fam and high tailed it home! Mission accomplished! Thank you again Court, Priscilla and Dave!

Snow came a bit early this year for us...November 10.

Luckily, it didn't stick around too long.

These farm girls are opposed to shoes, socks, jackets, hats and gloves - even in the snow!

Oh to be young, right?!

If you are asking yourself if Charlotte's hair really looks green or if that is just bad lighting, the answer is it's most definitely green! 

She decided to paint her hair with the paint from our art easel. And though washable, it definitely left behind some evidence of her "escape from nap time into the playroom without mommy knowing" escapade.

Grace wore her princess dress for a solid week. She even slept in it!

I did manage to get her out of it when we went into public, but the second we were home....on it went!

She is gonna LOVE Cinderella!

That just might be under the tree from Santa on Christmas morning!

Princesses aside, we can really see a flourish in Grace's imagination. Be it the conversations she has with her Barbies to creating Seattle's skyline with her blocks - cannon included of course....Seattle just isn't Seattle without a cannon - she is at a REALLY fun age. It is exciting to hear the new things she thinks of everyday. 

With that splurge in imagination has come the question - why.

I knew it was coming. I thought it would be sooner.

But it is now here and I do my very best - most of the time -to exhaust her curiosities. 

Other times...well you know...other times are other times.

In other news, I have spent an INSANE amount of time picking up leaves, sweeping up leaves, bribing Grace with pennies for her piggy back to pick up leaves.... 

  I just don't understand how we have so many leaves in our house this time of year! ;)

 And then there is Miss Charlotte. I forget she is just two. She keeps up with Grace step for step.

She's so physically tough but just a stern look can send her into cataclysmic tears. 

Don't even tell her - or Grace for that matter - that Mommy is gonna cry because...(insert they won't give me a hug, get dressed, overall cooperate) and it will send them into cataclysmic tears to infinite plus one!

It's unreal!

 Uncle Johnny-roo stopped by for some ball - throwing, leaf - hopping action!

And then it was Thanksgiving!

Grace wore her special Thanksgiving outfit to school before the school break started. 

She was not about taking pictures that morning or smiling or holding still.

These are the best pics I snapped and that is saying A LOT!

Regardless, I am glad I have a picture of the skirt I made her for our big family feast!

Charlotte has one too...not sure if I got a picture of hers...

Grace and I made special treats for her teachers.

A little cinnamon muffin mix just to say thank you and maybe ease the breakfast duties if they had lots of family in town!

Not sure how many pictures I got of our Thanksgiving festivities! I spent most of my day in the kitchen but I will upload them soon and hopefully get at least one post together before 2013!

Northpole breakfast is on deck, a 34th birthday in the hole and a fabulous 4th birthday less than two weeks away!

Did I mention I was busy?!